New Discoveries in Podcasts: Escape Pod & PseudoPod

Recently, I came across Escape Pod & it’s sister site PseudoPod and have been, for the most part, really impressed and delighted with all the stories I’ve listened to. I feel like I’m reconnecting to the joys of short fiction, the fun of coming across new and different ideas, and of being surrounded by stories.

They have reawakened a desire to write (and complete) short fiction of my own. While I have some niggling criticisms (a few of the readers don’t work for me), Escape Pod in particular has reawakened a sense of wonder at story writing and telling. As you can see, I posted one of my own short-short stories a couple of posts ago and plan on doing some more, both of my own works and possibly some public domains works with an aim of possibly getting a readership position with either of these sites.

J asked me what I want to do last night, if I wanted to be a writer and I couldn’t answer her directly because I understand what it takes to be a writer (not simply someone who occasionally writes) and I haven’t yet convinced myself that I have what it takes, the fortitude, the discipline. But I haven’t yet given up. Also, I think I ultimately want to be more than a writer, I want to be a storyteller. My work as a director and as a song-writer are directly related to my desire to tell stories, simply in a different medium than that of writing.

Of the three, writing is the hardest and takes the most discipline for me.

I’ve sort of strayed from the point however . . .

Of the stories that I’ve listened too, I want to urge you to check out a couple in particular.

Escape Pod 105: Impossible Dreams, is certainly not a groundbreaking story by any stretch of the imagination, depending on a number of well-worn cliches and narrative tricks – yet the story is smart, sweet and contains some fabulous thought experiments in alternative film history. If you love movies – or stories of all kinds for that matter – this is a must listen.

If you like horror and have a strong stomach, one of the most intense, stomach-churning stories from Pseudopod is “Bliss” – disturbing, disturbing, oh my god it’s disturbing.

But honestly, both podcasts have many, many more stories that are worth listening to. I hope you enjoy.